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Originally Posted by Edster
Salaams, Ibrahiim.
Thanks for referencing the seminal thread started by Jim. It lays the historic basis for later Sudanese smiths to tie, adapt and identify their work with a reference to quality and the Crescent Moon's symbolism in Islam. My guess is the Crescent Moon's design elements when adapted with a little imagination looks like 40 in Arabic numerals. I see nothing significant in the number 40 as such.
Regards,
Ed
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Salaams Ed, The number 40 (arbyn) is not only a magic number/Talisman but comes hyper supercharged as an absolutely powerful indicator since it takes pride of place in the Holy Quran in one special verse extolling the nature of life and how life should be inspired...in which incredibly for a number it is deliberately mentioned three times. I am not a religious scholar and cannot give an exact meaning nor can I offer advice as to the often hidden invocation but here is the passage for reference~
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Rasool Allah, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behaviour and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behaviour, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise."Unquote.
The point is that Forty is mentioned 3 times and is thus a powerful Talismanic number. I think it could mean that with this sword good deeds may be done according to the script above. The blade is thus protected by the entire verse above by the inclusion of the moon shaped stylistic number
forty.
The inclusion of the word
forty in stylised arabic secretly inscribed as a Moon defines the Talisman as different from the European Moon which is a mark placed in Toledo and Solingen schools of swordmaking to denote blade quality. The Islamic Moon (although it may have originally been copied onto some African blades and there are many examples where the moon is more rudimentary perhaps done by uneducated African swordmakers or owners) is completely different being purely a Talisman. The Moon in Islamic lands is revered whereas the European Moon carries no religious connotation for Muslims...though there is a religious link in European Moons as a device illustrating anti Papal leanings in some quarters in Europe...and as already described also as a mark of blade excellence...in fact some are illustrated as Funny Face Moons which are hardly likely to be struck by Islamic forge masters..thus there is a distinct difference in the form.
References;
A.
http://iainnorman.com/essays/2014/04...frican-swords/
B.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=Tuareg+Swords
C.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=101339
D. #2 Above where it is noted by Ed. Your mark might be a rendition of the Arabic number 40 or Arbane. A Kassala smith named Awad Adam had a similar mark but with a complete circle with the arbane inside. A similar close rendition was used by Hassan Shaykh Idris.
E. Researchers of Taureg Talisman may benefit from reading
http://www.academia.edu/7634962/The_...nd_West_Africa